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Saturday, October 27, 2012

The days grow shorter, the nights get colder, and beer selections get darker and bolder. The fall and winter are the perfect time for embracing the darker side of beer and jumping into Porters.

Porters come in a wide variety of sub-styles including: Brown Porters, Robust Porters, Baltic Porters (may include imperial), Smoked Porters, Specialty Porters, and Spice/Herb/Vegetable Porters. Each of these can be quite unique from the other.

Porters are ales and vary in color from light brown to nearly jet black. They can be sweet, roasty, bitter, infused with spices and herbs, hoppy, coffee-like, or aged in barrels and can range in ABV from 4% all the way up to 13% or more.

Porters can be either light bodied or nearly as thick as a motor oil. They tend to be darker and richer than Brown ales, yet less roasty than stouts. In some cases, you'll have a hard time picking out some porters from browns or stouts.
Porters also tend to be a good base for experimentation. You can infuse smoked malts, spices like peppers or vanilla, fruits and coconuts, sweets like honey, or exotics like ground coffee beans. There's no end what you can do with a porter. Even barrel age them!

The following porter reviews span the spectrum, some are lighter in body and color, some rich and potent. Check out the reviews of the following brews below and see what dark flavors await you the next time you are looking for something dark and mysterious. All of these are available in Colorado, some of these are from a particular year, but still have current versions available. Some beers fall under multiple sub-categories.